Update: Erstversorgung von Frühgeborenen an der Grenze der Lebensfähigkeit: Aktualisierte gemeinsame Leitlinie der Arbeitsgruppe Neonatologie und pädiatrische Intensivmedizin der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde (ÖGKJ), der Arbeitsgruppe Ethik in der Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde der ÖGKJ sowie des Instituts für Ethik und Recht in der Medizin der Universität Wien (IERM)

The enormous progress in neonatal intensive care during the last decades has enabled the survival of extremely premature infants. This success is at times associated with considerable long-term morbidity of these patients, potentially causing significant suffering and distress for the child and the family. The current manuscript presents an update of the Austrian national guidelines for the management of extremely premature infants at the limits of viability published in 2005. Rather than being strict guidelines, this manuscript is intended to provide caregivers with consensus practice recommendations to facilitate responsible decision-making in individual cases at the border of viability. Ethical, medical and legal aspects are discussed and an individual recommendation for the postnatal management of extremely premature infants born at 22+0 – 24+6 weeks gestational age is given.